Furniture brace and control therefor



Aug.l 25, 1931. T.I H. WITTLIFF 1,820,589

FURNITURE BRACE AND CONTROL THEREFOR ll/llll//ll/llll lill/111,111

Aug.,25,v 1931. T. H. wlTTLlr-F 5 1,820,589

FURNITURE BRACE AND CONTROL THEREFORv Filed May 1'4, 1.925 2 sheets-sheet 2 LW EN TOR.

Fly' 9 I A [TORXE YS l Patented Aug. 25, 1931 i n i i l. p

.UNITED sTA'rss ori-Ice appnfcatin 'ined' May 14; iaasrr-seri'alina' 30,155. p This invention as indicated relates to a 2 'is a view similar toFig. l showing the use of -furniture brace and control tlierefor..v -More looped fiexible elements-for connecting'the v particularly it comprisesa plurality of yiiexi-r ybrace to'the-frameof the article of furniture; ble elements associated with the: frame of an Fig; 3 is anenlarged'side elevation partially 5 article of-furniture and having a-.c'entral ten; in section of the formv of .tensioning device 5 sioning device which may be adjusted tothe vshown in Figs. Vl and k2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged desired degreeofl tension from. a .point ex-l perspective' view of one of the groove'd tenternal to said article' of furniture/.The apsionmg-blocks adapted to be engaged upon paratus is intended more yparticularly for V- the shaft of the tensionin device; Fig. 5 is application to a bed, but obviously itwould a View similar-to F ig. 4,. s owing one of the (su be of equal utility used lin connection With ltensioning;blocks having the crossedy cables other articles of furniture such as a desk, .engaged withina single groove thereof ,f Fig. table, :davenportor thel like. f `6 is ai view similar t Figs. 4 and 5, but show- `Bedsteads having a; central `tensioning 'ing the crossed cables-in separate *grooves yof means `have heretofore been known, but in- -the tensioning block; Fig. 7 is a top plan view 65 each instance it has been necessaryto tension showing a modilied' form .of 'furniture brace the device directly.- In many instances the and control therefor Fig. 8 is -a top plan tensioning device is in an inaccessiblefposiview showing still another modified formv of tion a'nd diliculty is experienced inapplying ,furniture brace and control therefor; Fig. 9 exactly the desired amount of tension therel is an end-viewtake'n along the line 9.-.9 shown-7u to. The present invention has in view-the in Fig. 8 looking in the. direction'of. the arprovision of means which mayat all times rows; Fig. -10 is a topplan -view of a tensionbe readily accessible, whereby any desiredA deing device of still another modified form, grec of tension may be applied to thef-urniand` Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail sectional ture brace. At the same time the device is View 4taken along the line ll.-`-l1-shown'inv so arranged that it will normally be-kept-.in- Fig. 7.v I' fr a concealed position beneath the. article. of In the form of construction shown inv Fig. y furniture. Itmay be, however, readily drawn l, the:l furniture Vbrace is lshown as applied to a position where it may be easily operated to the frame 1 of a wooden bedstead. The

30 to effect the purpose stated. This is particuw corner posts 2 of. said bedstead are joined 80 larly desirable where the bed brace is to be by side rails-8 andend mem-bers 4. Aicross operated by women of the household, who bar 5, mayfserve tospace the'side-members have small mechanical knowledge. Thedeadjacent'the central portion of said frame. vice is also arranged so that ample leverage Ateachinner corner of the respective posts is provided so that a minimum of effortwills. a hookshaped member issecured and simi'- 85 serve to adjust the furniture brace With-,the -1armembers7 lare securedto the inner sides requisite amount `of tension. To the accom-f of the side railsadjacent the center portion plishment of the .foregoing and related ends, thereof. vA iexible member 8, preferably prosaid invention, then, consists of thel .means vided k,withiterminal chain links 9 is enga-ged 40 hereinafter fullv described and particularly by meansof` said .links'vvith the respective pointed out in the-claims.- i u j hooks datoneendof the bed frame.A 'A pair The annexed drawings andthe -OUQWlDg-x'of.flexible" members 11, 12,:.si'mil'ar ini condescription set forth in .detail certain. 4mecha-fj `struction to the lflexible member 8, a-resecured nism embodying the invention,-suchdisclosed at oneend to the respective end posts opposite means constituting, how-ever, but several 0f those ,irstvreferredtm and thence cross each" 95.

. various mechanical forms in which theprinciother and extendto the. opposite hooksposiple of the invention may-be used. l:tioned: at fthe lcentral portions of the .side

y In said annexed drawings, Fig.- lis al top membersv The central portions of said Hexplan view showing one form-of aniimproved ible members Iare engaged. respectively over furniture brace and the control therefor;Fig:` blocks 13,514, supported -upona shaft 15 of a' '1" central tensioning device. The blocks may be of any desired configuration except that the forward portions are 'preferably provided with a pair of inclined faces 16, 17 across which upper and lower grooves 18, 19 are provided. A transverse screw.threaded opening 21 is formed centrally through each of said blocks. rlhe block 13 is ireferably provided with a transverse bore o larger diameter than that ot' the block 14 in order to permit the same to be. engaged upon the heavier portion of the shaft 15 of the tensioning device. The shaft 15 of the tensioning device as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 comprises a member having a screw threaded forward end. The forward end 22 of said member is of reduced diameter and-carries right handed screw threads. The inner portion 23 of said member is of larger diameter and carries left handed screw threads. The screw threads on the section of larger diameter are adapted to be engaged by the tensioning block 13 and the other screw threads by the tensioning block 14. The inner end of the shaft 15 is adapted to be received within a sleeve 24 which is provided with an elongated slot 25. A screw 26 set into the side of the member 15 adjacent its inner end is engaged through the slot 25 of the sleeve and serves as a guide and limiting stop therefor. A crank handle 27 is provided at the other end of the sleeve, and is rmly secured therein by any suitable means.

In the form of construction shown in Fig. 1 the central portion of the flexible member 8 is engaged in the upper groove of the block 18. rl`he flexible members 11 and 12 may be engaged in the block 14 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the members are both placed in the upper groove of the block, or in the manner shown in Fig. 6 wherein the member 11 is placed in the upper groove 18 and the member 12 is placed in the lower groove 19.

It has also been found desirable in many instances to use a closed loop type of flexible member. In such` construction the flexible loop 31 has its respective central portions engaged within the grooves 18 and 19 of the block 13, and the central portions of each of the loops 32 and 33 are engaged within the grooves 18 and 19 respectively of the block 14. Thus each of said grooves carries flexible elements in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5 in connection with the upper groove 18.

It may be found desirable to use looped or flexible elements over one of the tensioning blocks and single flexible elements over the opposite blocks, and likewise lwhere very heavy tension is to be applied, duplicated elements of the character shown in Fig. 1, that is, two of each of the flexible members 8, 11 and 12 may be employed in place of the single flexible members illustrated. In the form of construction shown in Fig. 7 a different type of tension device is illustrated. 1n said construction the tensioning screw shaft 41 is provided with right handed screw threads 42 upon one end, and left'handed screw threads 43 upon the opposite end, which screw threads are engaged by cable re ceiving yoke members 44, 45 respectively. Said yoke members, as is more particularly illustrated in Fig. 11 are each provided with curved body members 46 and upper and 10W er flanges 47, 48. Over each of' said yokes as shown in Figs. 7 and 11, a single flexible member 51 may be placed, or if a high degree of tension is to be applied to the frame, a pair of parallel flexible members may be secured to the respect-ive end posts of the frame structure, with the middle portions thereof engaged with the yoke members above and below the threaded shaft of the tensioning device. The yoke members may be engaged with flexible members lidentical with those shown in either Figs. land 2, or may be of the type illustrated in Fig. 7 wherein the ends of said respective flexible members 51 are provided with eyes which are engaged over the hook members 6. f

The means used for tensioning the device shown in Fig. 7 Will be described in connection with the construction-shown in Figs. 8

and 9. In Fig. 8 the tensioning device instead of being provided with yoke shaped tensioning members is provided with rectangular plates 52 provided with notches 53 on their longer sides adjacent their ends of a size suitable to receive the central portions of the flexible members. The flexible menibers may be in the form of loops 54 as shown in Fig. 8 or may be similar to the flexible member 8 shown in Fig. 1, or the flexible member 51 shown in Fig. 7, each of the ends f.

of said members, however, being fastened to the same hook when used with a plate of the character shown in Fig. 8. The side edges 5,5 of the plates 52 may be bent at a slight angle so as to permit the flexible elements to pull at substantially right angles to their point of attachment. The outer ends of the loop 54 are engaged over the hooks 6 in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 9. Each of the plates is provided with a central aperture 56, which is appropriately screw threaded to engage the adjacent end of the tensioning shaft. The means for operating the tensioning shaft is clearly diselosedin Fig. 9 and comprises a worm wheel 61 rigidly secured to the shaft 41 and having its peripheral teeth engaged with a Worm 62 carried at the outer end of a telescopic crank shaft 63 identical in construction at its outer end with the crank shaft illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Thus, it is provided with a sleeve 64 having a longitudinal slot 65 engaged over a screw 66, which serves as a guide pin and limiting stop. The outer end of the sleeve has 'a crank handle 67 firmly engaged therewith.

The telescopic crank shaft need not be of the saine length as the devices shown 1n Figs. 1, 2 and 3, inasmuch as 1t 1s intended to project I laterally toward the side'of the bedstead, or

other article of furniture rather than toward theend thereof. The worm is held in engagement with the worm wheel by means of a stirrup plate 71 having. upwardly turned cars 79., suitably apertured to tit over the Ishaft 63 on either side of the worm, and having a pair of 11p-standing ears T3 to engage over the tensioning shaft 41 on' either side of the worm wheel. lVhile the frictional engagement with the worm wheel may be adequate to maintain the crank arm in horizontal position beneath the bedstead, it may be found desirable to hook the outer end of the crank arm to the adjacent side rail by means of a pivoted hook 75 or some'similar device as is shown in Fig. 8.

The tensioning device as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 includes a screw threaded shaft of two dimensions.

In Fig. l0 a form of construction is illustrated in which one of the yoke members 81 is movable longitudinally of the screw threaded shaft 82,' and the other yoke member 83 is held against longitudinal movement. Said yokeV member is held against a washer 84 which bears against a shoulder 85 formed on the screw threaded shaft at approximately the mid-length thereof by means strand or multi-strand and may have integral` eyes formed at the ends thereof, or may be 1 provided with short chain sections which will permitof a certain latitude of adjustment independently of the tensioning device.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed and the forms of the product resulting therefrom, provided those stated by any one of the following claims or their equivalents be employed-or embodied therein.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention: f

l. A brace of the character described comprising corner-stays, a saddle, a closed wire loop whose extremities are mounted upon said corner-stays and whose intermediate portion passes over said saddle to provide a pair of wire strands between said cornersaddle in position so as to exert a strong pull ,upon said corner-stays, said bolt also serving to maintain the strands out of Contact with eachother on the saddle.

2. A brace of the character described comprising two pairs of corner-stays, a saddle for each pair of corner-stays, a closed wire loop for each pair of corner-stays whose extremities are mounted uponV their associated corner-stays, and whose intermediate portions pass over the corresponding saddles to provide a pair of wire strands between each pair of corner-stays and a bolt for relatively adjusting said saddles in position so as to exert a strong pull upon said corner-stays, said bolt also serving to maintain the strands out of contact with each other on the saddle.

3. A brace of the character described comprising corner-stays, a saddle, a closed wire loop whose extremities are mounted upon said corner-stays and whose intermediate portion passes over said saddle to provide a pair of wire strands between said cornerstays, and means for adjustably securing said saddle in position so as to exert a strong pull upon said corner-stays, said saddle consisting of a runway for the wire loop and side walls to retain said wire loop in position, said securing means separating the strands on the saddle.

v`are mounted upon their associated corner stays and whose intermediate portions pass over the corresponding saddles to provide a pair of wire strands between each pair of Vcorner stays, each strand of said pairs of wire strands being spaced from the other upon their corresponding saddles whereby one strand may move relative to the other of 

